


Hopes and Dreamseekers

by SansRene_KantGaster



Series: The Unified Theory Papers [3]
Category: Undertale, celebrities and real people
Genre: Alternate Universe, ChronoTrigger, New York Times, Speculative, True Pacifist Route, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:08:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23115232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SansRene_KantGaster/pseuds/SansRene_KantGaster
Summary: Created to celebrate the Japanese version of ChronoTrigger’s 25th birthday.This was originally written on a computer for the first draft only. It was edited on an iPhone, so beware formatting weirdness.Takes place post-Barrier break. Spoilers for chapter 43 of Visiontale onward.I will edit, and add on to, everything, gradually., so keep checking back to see any developments
Series: The Unified Theory Papers [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1176101
Kudos: 2





	Hopes and Dreamseekers

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written with very limited access to a computer, and was mostly edited over the course of three days, between March 9 and March 11, 2020. I lost access to that computer because starting on March 10, I began staying home due to the novel coronavirus spreading in California.

Hopes and Dreamseekers

(): hyperlinks  
(()): actual parentheticals

Zealdia Celebrates Timely Video Game Release

by  
(Ellen Barry)

and  
(Andy Mills)  
March 11, 2020 ((01/Justice/205X))

7:37 AM ET

*"I, Judge Sans Rene-Kant Gaster, on behalf of Zealdia, am beyond proud to release ChronoTrigger: the Zealdia Update."*

With these words, and the slashing open of a stack of crates, gamers and Zealdian supporters alike received their copies of the micronation’s first widely-released piece of fiction. The release occurred in New Home at midnight with little fanfare, after a full day of events. A hand-picked ((metacarpal-picked?)) group of video game fans and developers, content creators, celebrities, and journalists, inside and outside of the gaming industry, attended.

*"Though the coronavirus forced me to cancel my plan to release the game at the Nintendo World Store in New York, I have done all in my power to exhibit our game and inform your readers, viewers, and listeners,” he explained at the start of the night.

Amid coronavirus fears, few people, including these reporters, attended in person. The rest of the guests submitted questions and comments via a virtual press conference, hosted in a video call on Discord, a Skype alternative originally marketed toward gamers. Zealdians widely began using it after being freed (as their prefered communication method with the surface).

Judge Sans filmed the press conference via several floating cameras, and broadcast it live on Twitch, another platform originally marketed toward gamers. This act is the latest, and most wide-scale, example of Zealdians (using Twitch to document their lives and transmit their media onto the surface Internet). 

Translators also joined the physically and soulologically-present attendees, racing to translate his speech into both real and cconstructed languages. Notably, these reporters sat next to ((and six feet away from)), Dave Peterson, the creator of High Valyrian and Dothraki, fictional languages used on the television program game of Thrones. He translated the event into High Valyrian, which, alongside English, is one of Zealdia’s officially-recognized languages when conducting business.

ChronoTrigger: the Zealdia Update, called ZCT from now on, had a colorful history reflective of the culture which adopted it. Initially created as a  
tribute to Chrono ((Chara)) and Magus ((Asriel)) after their deaths, the project seized Judge Sans’s attention for at

least 20 years ((at least 40, counting time in the resets)). Once he became  
Judge, at the end of 201X, (Zealdians became fixated on the game), (and repeatedly asked to

help develop it).

Judge Sans's announcement of ZCT’s release, on December 4, 2019 ((1/K/205X)),

served as the culmination of his, and Zealdia’s, efforts. Breaking from  
tradition, (Judge Sans himself both planned and hosted the Nintendo  
Direct). Filmed in Hotland, it was seen by 10 million viewers across all  
platforms.

*"I shall promote our game the same way I created it: via breaking the  
boundary between designer and fan,"* he said, at the end of that Nintendo  
Direct. *”I refused all helpon the game many times, over many years. I  
shan’t do so now. A work of fiction means nothing without its fans. As  
Zealdians: true and proxied, we know this well."*

Of course, he has made good on that promise. Starting the first week after  
he broke the Barrier, (he sent promotional materials) to journalists, gaming and alike, politicians, and individuals who have 

educated the public about Zealdia and champion their causes.

These reporters asked him about the exfclusion of Toby Fox from this group,  
shortly before the press conference ended.

*"Toby refused them,"* he said. *"He, and his followers, have vowed to

pay for the game, and to donate an amount to the Inertia Society: all at once or over time, equal to the total cost."*

When asked to comment on these actions, Judge Sans answered, *”Perhaps they  
see it as their moral duty. Through Gaster, we warped their lives to suit us. Perhaps

they owe it to us to aide our transition into surface life. Toby did nearly  
as much to free us as Shulk (Pauline Ugalde) and Chrono have, after all."*

As of the publication of this article, Judge Sans's (seven-week gag order  
on talking about the game has begun). As such, reporters from this  
publication will not discuss it any further until midnight on April 29,  
2020 ((01/D/205X)). Until then, (here is a photo gallery from the release  
party), (our episode of The Daily about the event), and (a page linking to  
all of our coverage of ZCT).

When the gag order ends, our video

game and Zealdian media critics, as well as our opinion section, will review ZCT. Until

then, to get caught up, (download the most recent version on Steam), (IOS), (Android), (Apple TV), (or Wii U virtual console), (and then purchase a copy of the  
game on Fangamer), and experience this chapter in Zealdia's Chrono-ology  
yourself.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, the press conference was gonna be larger, and in person, but I had to change the story, to keep it in line with current events at the time where I live. as of March 12, 2020, Santa Clara County banned public events 1000 people or more, and the governor banned public events 250 people or more. I wanted the story to reflect reality, as of the time of writing.
> 
> The New York Times reporters mentioned are both real people. Specifically, Ellen Barry is their international correspondent, and Andy Mills does “audio stories”, and helps with The Daily, the New York Time’s news podcast. You can find out more about them, by going to this URL.
> 
> https://www.nytco.com/company/people/
> 
> At the time of writing, I knew that the Times would change greatly post-Barrier break, but I was unable to do rigorous research, since my laptop died in early February. As of March 17, 2020, I haven’t received word about when I’ll receive my laptop for work.
> 
> As of March 16, 2020, I received my backup laptop in the mail. It was ordered on Pie Day weekend. Therefore, I can do proper formatting for this work, and i can write longer works again. However, I'm choosing not to change it much, so all of you can see what i was able to write, while mostly using my phone to edit.
> 
> The things I do for you, Undertale...
> 
> Also, since I'm learning to use a new screen reader and keyboard layout, I dont' know how many long works I'll be able to do right now. I'll still be able to write them, but it'll take more time. I have to reinstall all my programs, including Microsoft Word.
> 
> NO: the New York Times doesn’t have a video game critic in real life.
> 
> As for why Judge Sans mentioned Toby Fox, and any other nagging feelings of weirdness you might have had while reading the fic?
> 
> Any and all questions you have will be answered.
> 
> Eventually.
> 
> It has to do with a longform fic... series of shortform fics... I've been planning since before Undertale's fourth anniversary.


End file.
